1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data for a recording medium. More particularly, it relates to a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus which may be used with advantage when using a non-linear-accessible recording medium as a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing video or audio data, there is proposed a hybrid recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a hard disc drive (HDD) and a VTR enclosed therein, as shown in, for example, the International Application No. PCT/J95/01617. This hybrid recording and/or reproducing apparatus is used as a so-called on-line editor in which the video and audio data are stored once on a HDD and edited so as to be then recorded on a tape on the VTR for transmission for broadcast reproduction from the tape. This hybrid recording and/or reproducing apparatus usually includes a control panel which is provided with actuating buttons for controlling the recording, reproduction, fast feed, rewind and stop etc.
Also, the above-mentioned recording and/or reproducing can be loaded on an external equipment for recording data outputted from this external equipment. That is, the hybrid recording and/or reproducing apparatus can be connected to a portable AV editor so that data reproduced from the hybrid recording and/or reproducing apparatus is outputted to the portable editor so that edited data from the editor is again inputted to the hybrid recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
The hybrid recording and/or reproducing apparatus outputs command signals to the AV editor in accordance with the operating contents of its own control panel to control the recording and/or reproducing processing of the external equipment. This enables the hybrid recording and/or reproducing apparatus to perform the editing using data outputted by the external equipment and data of the recording medium the apparatus is supervising.
FIG. 1 shows an illustrative actuating button of a circuit control panel provided in a recording and/or reproducing apparatus such as the aforementioned hybrid respective apparatus.
On actuating an actuating button xe2x80x9cPLAYERxe2x80x9d 1001, data is reproduced from an external playback VTR. When the external playback VTR and the external recording VTR are connected to the recording and/or reproducing apparatus having this actuating button, an actuating button xe2x80x9cRECORDERxe2x80x9d 1002 is actuated to record data on the external recording VTR. For cut-editing by cut switching by the control panel, the external playback VTR is selected by the actuating button xe2x80x9cPLAYERxe2x80x9d 1001 to determine a cut-in point and a cut-out point on the reproducing side. The external recording VTR is selected by the actuating button xe2x80x9cRECORDERxe2x80x9d 1002 to determine a cut-in point and a cut-out point on the recorder side. Meanwhile, the cut-in point and the cut-out point mean editing start and editing end points in cut editing, respectively. For example, the cut-in point and the cut-out point are determined on selecting an actuating button xe2x80x9cINxe2x80x9d 1003 and an actuating button xe2x80x9cOUTxe2x80x9d 1004 on the control panel, as shown in FIG. 2.
The recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes, on a control panel 1012, an actuating button xe2x80x9cPLAYERxe2x80x9d 1005 for selecting the reproducing side, an actuating button xe2x80x9cRECORDERxe2x80x9d 1006 for selecting the recording side, an actuating button xe2x80x9cEXTxe2x80x9d 1007, actuating buttons xe2x80x9cTAPExe2x80x9d 1008, 1010 and actuating buttons xe2x80x9cDISC MASTERxe2x80x9d 1009, 1011 for specifying recording mediums selectable on the playback and recording sides, as shown in FIG. 3.
For example, each actuating button is substantially square-shaped and is illuminated when thrust.
It is noted that the an actuating button xe2x80x9cEXTxe2x80x9d 1007 is associated with signals from outside (external signal) and the actuating buttons xe2x80x9cTAPExe2x80x9d 1008, 1010 are associated with a tape provided in the inside (internal tape), while the actuating buttons xe2x80x9cDISC MASTERxe2x80x9d 1009, 1010 are associated with a hard disc provided in the inside (internal hard disc). The actuating buttons 1007, 1008, 1009 are arranged on the control panel as a button group associated with the actuating button xe2x80x9cPLAYERxe2x80x9d 1005, while the actuating buttons 1010, 1011 are arranged on the control panel as a button group associated with the actuating button xe2x80x9cRECORDERxe2x80x9d 1006. Thus, for example, the actuating buttons xe2x80x9cDISC MASTERxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cTAPExe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cEXTxe2x80x9d being illuminated indicates selection of the internal hard disc, internal tape and external signals, respectively.
If, for example, the external signals and the internal hard disc are selected on the playback side and on the recording side, respectively, to perform the editing operation, the following operations are executed:
If the external signals are used on the editing playback side, the actuating button xe2x80x9cPLAYERxe2x80x9d 1005 and the actuating button 1007 are thrust simultaneously. If the internal hard disc is used on the recording side, the actuating button xe2x80x9cRECORDERxe2x80x9d 1006 and the actuating button 1010 xe2x80x9cDISC MASTERxe2x80x9d are thrust simultaneously. This illuminates the actuating button xe2x80x9cEXTxe2x80x9d 1007 on the reproducing side and actuating button 1010 xe2x80x9cDISC MASTERxe2x80x9d 1010 on the recording side.
In this state, only the the actuating button xe2x80x9cPLAYERxe2x80x9d 1005 is thrust to set the editing point on the playback side. Similarly, only the actuating button xe2x80x9cRECORDERxe2x80x9d 1006 is thrust to set the editing point on the recording side. For example, the actuating button xe2x80x9cINxe2x80x9d 1003 and the actuating button xe2x80x9cOUTxe2x80x9d 1004 shown in FIG. 14 are actuated to set the cut-in and cut-out points.
The above-mentioned actuating buttons enable various processing operations, such as data editing.
It is noted that reduction in size of electronic equipments is crucial in that portability is thereby improved. Since the recording and/or reproducing apparatus has the above-mentioned control panel on a portion of the casing, this control panel needs to be reduced in size simultaneously for miniaturization of the apparatus itself. In such case, it is necessary to arrange actuating buttons enabling a wide variety of operations within a limited space.
Recently, an A/V server employing a random access memory such as a hard disc has been proposed. In general, the A/V server is used extensively for broadcast operations. If the A/V server is used for broadcast operations, sufficient data reliability needs to be guaranteed. To this end, a so-called RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Discs) structure, in which plural HDDs (hard disc drives) are arranged side-by-side, is used.
Also, multiple channels for the broadcast equipments recently have been in use for realization of digital television broadcasting. In order to cope with this, the AV server is configured for inputting/outputting plural channels simultaneously. That is, a sole AV server realizes the functions of plural VTRs in contradistinction from other VTRs (video tape recorders).
In keeping up with increase in the number of channels, an equipment for controlling the AV server tends to be larger in scale in an unprecedented fashion. A large-scale system, centered about the AV server, constructed by, for example, a control PC or plural PCs for application, usually needs to be provided for controlling the AV server.
In recent broadcasting stations, this AV server is demanded to be arranged in a limited space, such as in a relaying car. In addition, the functions played by the control PC or the application PC configured for controlling the AV server are requested to be loaded on the AV server itself.
In realizing these functions by the AV server, it may be contemplated to provide an actuating control button on the entire surface of the AV server. In the current state of the art, the size of the casing of the AV server itself is fixed to a certain extent, it is extremely difficult to provide actuating buttons configured for accommodating the various functions in their entirety.
Also, level meters of audio data inputted/outputted to or from the AV server are displayed to determine the audio level with which the audio data is to be outputted for editing or transmission. If, in such case, a display area is provided on the front side of the above-mentioned AV server, it is extremely difficult to display the entire input/output of the plural channels in consideration of the casing size. In particular, in the digital TV it is proposed to send out the speech over eight channels, such that there is posed a problem in displaying the level meters of the audio data so that eight channels are associated with each of the AV server channels.
If the totality of the channels could be displayed, the display area on the AV server casing is limited, in consideration of its size, so that the display of the entire data inputted or outputted to or from the respective channels of the AV server necessarily becomes smaller in size because a variety of displays such as displays of data inputted to or outputted from the AV server or displays on the input/output channel need to be made on the display area in addition to the audio data.
There is also raised a problem that, since the display area is reduced and hence the discrimination of the display of the selected channel becomes difficult, the channel discriminated in a mistaken fashion is changed even if the setting contents of the respective channels are desired to be changed.
Moreover, if the size of the display area is increased to facilitate the recognition of the contents or the audio level of the respective channels, it is necessary to provide a variety of buttons, adjustment volumes or the above-mentioned actuating buttons in order to realize the above-mentioned functions of the AV server, as a result of which there is left no space in which to mount these buttons.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus having actuating buttons or adjustment volumes which enable a wide variety of processing operations despite the limited operating space.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus that is able to display levels of plural audio data or to display various other data on a limited display area without detracting from viewability.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus including recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing data for a non-linear accessible recording medium, at least one input port and at least one output port, with the input port and the output port time-divisionally accessing the recording and/or reproducing means to process the data inputted to the input port to output the processed data to the recording and/or reproducing means, the data reproduced from the recording and/or reproducing means being processed by and outputted from the output port. The apparatus further includes a port actuation button for selecting the input and output ports, an actuation selection button for selecting recording or playback for the input port or the output port as selected by the port actuation button, and a controller for performing control so that the recording operation or the playback operation as selected by the actuation selection button will be executed by the input port or the output port as selected by the port actuation button.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a port actuation method for a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus including recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing data for a non-linear accessible recording medium, at least one input port and at least one output port, with the input port and the output port time-divisionally accessing the recording and/or reproducing means to output data inputted to the input port to the recording and/or reproducing means, the data outputted from the recording and/or reproducing means being inputted to the output port and outputted therefrom. The port actuation method includes a first step for selecting the input port and/or the output port, a second step for selecting whether a recording operation is to be performed or a reproducing operation is to be performed on the input port or the output port selected by the first step and a third step for performing control for causing the recording operation or the reproducing operation as selected by the second step to be performed by the input port and/or the output port as selected in the first step.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus including recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing data for a non-linear accessible recording medium, at least one input port and at least one output port, with the input port and the output port time-divisionally accessing the recording and/or reproducing means, the input port outputting the data inputted to the recording and/or reproducing means and the output port being fed with the data reproduced by the recording and/or reproducing means to output the data. The apparatus further includes level detection means for detecting the level of audio data contained in data inputted to and outputted from the input and output ports and display means fed with level data detected by the level detection means for displaying the audio level inputted to and outputted from the input and output ports based on the level data. The port selected by the port selection switches in a manner different from the audio level of the other non-selected port.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides an audio level displaying method for a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus including recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing data for a non-linear accessible recording medium, at least one input port and at least one output port, with the input port and the output port time-divisionally accessing the recording and/or reproducing means to output the data inputted to the input port to the recording and/or reproducing means, the data outputted from the recording and/or reproducing means being inputted to the output port. The port actuation method includes a first step for detecting the audio level contained in the data inputted to the input port and to the output port and a second step for displaying the audio level detected at the first step.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides an adjustment volume for an audio level displaying method in a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus including recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing data for a non-linear accessible recording medium, at least one input port and at least one output port, with the input port and the output port time-divisionally accessing the recording and/or reproducing means, the input port outputting the input data to the recording and/or reproducing means. The data reproduced from the recording and/or reproducing means is inputted to and outputted from the output port. The apparatus includes storage means for storing pre-set values of the input level of the data inputted to the input data and the output data, port selection means for selecting the input port and the output port, memory position displaying means in the adjustment volume for displaying an adjusted graduated position and control means for reading out the pre-set value stored in the storage means for displaying the pre-set values on the graduated position displaying means on adjusting the input level at the input port and the output port by the adjustment volume and on selecting the input port and the output port by the port selection means.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method for selective display of an adjustment volume in a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus including recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing data for a non-linear accessible recording medium, at least one input port and at least one output port, with the input port and the output port time-divisionally accessing the recording and/or reproducing means to output the data inputted to the input port to the recording and/or reproducing means, the data reproduced from the recording and/or reproducing means being inputted to the output port. The selective display method includes a first step of displaying a setting value of a data level inputted to the input port and the output port on a graduated display portion of the adjustment volume, a second step of selecting the input port or the output port and a third step for displaying the setting value inputted to the other port on the graduated display portion of the adjustment volume on selection of the other port at the second step at a data level displayed at the first step on the graduated display portion.